Assessment Centres 101: Tips and Strategies to Succeed

Written by: Josh Dulku

Congratulations, you've completed the online application, gone past the online tests and navigated your interview successfully. However, one obstacle remains before you get that coveted job offer: the Assessment Centre! We will dive deeper into:

• What is an Assessment Centre?

• What employers look out for during the Assessment Centre

• How you can prepare to succeed at future Assessment Centres you attend.

1. What Is An Assessment Centre?

So, let's delve deeper into what an Assessment Centres is:

• They are either half-day or full-day events (depends on the company)

• Typically they are either the penultimate or final stage of the application process before you receive your job offer.

• Since COVID-19, most companies hold their assessment centres virtually although some do hold it in-person.

• However, this doesn't mean a virtual assessment centre is any different to an in-person assessment centre apart from location.

So, Assessment Centres differ from any other stage of the application process as it is not focused on one aspect but instead covers a variety of activities. A typical Assessment Centre schedule would be like the one below:

Welcome Talk by the Company

Interview with Hiring Manager or Senior Professionals

Tasks

·       Individual Task

·       Group Task

Note: Some companies might ask you to complete a task before the assessment centre date

Presentation

Q&A Session with Current Graduates and Current Apprentices (depends on what role you applied for)

Closing Talk by the Company detailing the next steps (for example, when to expect a response)

Let's break down each stage of the Assessment Centre and how you can prepare effectively for it!

2. Top Tips and Strategies to Ace the Interview Stage

The first stage of the Assessment Centre can vary but typically this would be the interview stage. Firstly, the interview is not an interrogation instead it is a two-way conversation between you and the interviewer.

It's easier said than done but definitely enter the interview with a sense of calm and confidence that you belong there. This is something you can build easily before doing any interview:

• It may be simple but a smile goes a long way. It shows that you're a friendly and warm person

• Use the STAR technique to structure your interview answers (Describe the context, What was the task / problem, What did you do, What was the outcome)

• Research the company (Use a recent article about the company in your answer where you can, as it shows you’re well informed about the company and its activities).

• Use the company values in your answer (The company is looking for candidates who already adopt their values in everyday life).

• Ask questions to the interviewer. Never say you have no questions instead always have at least 2 questions such as, what is your favourite part about working at the company?

Also, don't panic if they ask follow up questions to any of your answers. This is not a bad thing instead it's their way of asking you for any more information which may be relevant. As long as you prepare well and come into the interview with positive behaviours, that will go a long way in increasing your chances of success!

For further interview support, read NGH's blog which breaks down how to structure your interview answers using either the STAR or CARL techniques.

3. Common Assessment Centre Tasks Explained

The Assessment Centre typically consists of 2 tasks: The Individual Task and the Group Task. Each task is different and tests a different aspect of your skillset:

• The Individual Task is designed to test a variety of skills and typically ends with you presenting back to the hiring manager or senior professional.

• The Group Task will test instead how you will act in a group setting solving a task

With these tasks, the biggest thing you have to remember is that these tasks are not about winning or getting the result. Instead, it's testing how you work in a team, treat others, work to a deadline and many other skills!

With that said, here are some common tips on how to tackle both the individual and group task:

Individual Task	Group Task
Be prepared (If you are told to do the work before the day, DO IT)	Don't be loud or quiet (Be assertive and respectful) Also, be inclusive of your members (Do NOT be rude to your team, be considerate and ask for their opinions).
Speak clearly (They will assess how you speak). So, as Point 1 says “Be prepared” which will help you even more to speak clearly.	Have a memorable role (Don't just be the leader, note taking and asking others are also just as useful and will help you to stand out).
Be prepared for questions (Make sure you are confident about your decisions and can answer “Why did you choose this option”)	Be open to new ideas (Your ideas can be disagreed by your group, and you will have to compromise, how you react will be recorded).
Don’t worry about getting something right or wrong (The Individual Task tests your skills and not if you got something right)	Ask the members what parts they would like to work on / present (It establishes that you are a considerate member and that you can handle any part).
Always ensure you read the task’s instructions to fully understand what it is asking. Misreading the instructions is a common mistake which you can easily avoid.	Timing (Keep track of time, use your phone if there is not a clock available).

4. Assessment Centre Presentation Tips: Deliver with Confidence

The final stage of the Assessment Centre is the presentation where you will prepare (during the assessment centre or beforehand) for a specific task the company will share with you. The presentation consists of:

• A task brief detailing the topic of the presentation you will prepare for

• The presentation will be done vocally so there will be no requirement for you to create PowerPoint slides

• The presentation task is looking at your ability to communicate information effectively and in an easy to understand manner as well as how you cope speaking in public (It is definitely not about creating the world's most complex PowerPoint slides)

• As with all the other stages, there is a time limit for the task before you present back to the hiring manager or senior professionals working at the company

Again, the presentation requires you to prepare, remain calm under pressure and being clear with your words. I know from experience that it is no easy to do so a few things that helped me that might help you includes asking your family or friend to listen to your presentation the day before perhaps.

There are great resources you can access to support you further especially with the presentation stage of the assessment centre through Assessment Day. They shared a great quote below which rings so true for me as it is "Your" Assessment Centre so don't rush and do it on your terms!

5. Don't Worry You've Got This!

You've got this far in the application process so you deserve to be there. Don't ever forget that!

I want to leave you with some final tips before you step into your next assessment centre:

• Always remember you are being assessed from when the team can see you to when you are no longer seen as you leave the building (or the virtual meeting room on Zoom or Microsoft Teams).

• DON'T complain about the day or the assessment centre work being difficult, it will be unfortunately used against you

• They will assess your overall assessment centre performance. For example, if you didn't do well in the interview but the group + individual tasks went well for you instead.

• Finally, like I said have confidence in yourself! You've made it this far so you must be doing something right.

Good luck out there! If you have any more assessment centre questions, feel free to contact me on LinkedIn down below👇

Josh Dulku